Involute grinding wheel dresser

ABSTRACT

An involute grinding wheel dresser comprising a base and an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about a pivotal axis. A slide is mounted on the arm by anti-friction means for movement transversely of the arm. A dressing tool is mounted on the slide and interengaging means are provided between the base and the slide and are operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm, as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis, in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially to define an involute curve.

Riddeil 1 915 56 [451 June 11, 1974 1 1 INVOLUTE GRINDING WHEEL DRESSER {76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

Vernon A. Riddeli, 23402 Lynnhurst, Mount Clemens, Mich.

Aug. 7, 1972 [2]} Appl. No.: 278,290

Primary Examiner-Harold D. Whitehead Attorney, Agent, or FirmBames, Kisselle, Raisch &

Choate 1 1 ABSTRACT An involute grinding wheel dresser comprising a base and an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about a pivotal axis. A slide is mounted on the arm by anti-friction means for movement transversely of the arm. A dressing tool is mounted on the slide and interengaging means are provided between the base and the slide and are operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm, as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis, in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially to define an involute curve.

15 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN l 1 I974 SHEET 10? 3 PATENTED 1 1 H74 SHEET 2 BF 3 FIQ. 3

.MTENTEUJuM 1 m4 SBEET 3 BF 3 FIG. 7

INVOLUTE GRINDING WHEEL DRESSER This invention relates to dressers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the production ofinvolute splines and gear teeth, one method that is commonly used is to utilize agrinding wheel which has the periphery thereof formed and dressed to the shape of the space between two adjacent involute teeth. In use, the grinding wheel wears and it is necessary to utilize a diamond tool mounted in an appropriate device to dress and redress the periphery of the grinding wheel.

Various devices have heretoforebeen suggested for dressing the grinding wheel and these function in various manners and have differing degrees of accuracy. Among the most common types are those that utilize cams or discs for the base diameter of each involute curve. Such devices have the disadvantage in that they often require various cams or discs or similar parts to involute grinding wheel dressed.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved involute grinding wheel dresser which obviates the need for replaceable cams or discs; which can be utilized for variable spaced diameters from zero diameter to maximum base diameter of a particular dresser; wherein variable space adjustment between teeth is readily achieved; wherein all settings can be made with a set of standard gauge blocks; wherein both sides of a grinding wheel can be dressed without any change in settings; wherein once the device is oriented with the work, no further re-orientation is required if the sixe of the work changes; wherein the entire device is arranged so that it is not adversely affected by the environment in which it is used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The involute grinding wheel dresser embodying the invention, the combination comprising a base, an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about a pivotal axis and a slide mounted on the arm by antifriction means for movement transversely of the arm. A dressing tool is supported on the slide and interengaging means are provided between the base and the slide and are operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm, as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis, in a. direction such that the tool moves ra-,

dially outwardly as well as tangentially to define an involute curve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an involute grinding wheel dresser embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary diagram showing the manner in which the dresser functions to dress the grinding wheel.

FIG. 3 is an end view taken from the right of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view taken from the left of FIG. 1..

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line6-6 in FIG. 1, showing the parts in a different DESCRIPTION Y The involute grinding wheel dresserembodying the invention utilizes mechanical parts to represent the fundamental components of an involute curve which are the radius of the base diameter, the tangent to the base diameter, and the movement of the tool or point from the point of tangency to a selected point which changes uniformly an amount equal to the length of the arc of the base circle about which the tangent is rotated.

Referring to FIG. 2 which shows a fragment of the grinding wheel G, the periphery is intended to be dressed in such a manner that a dressing tool moves from the base diameter B at a point of tangency T along an are A to dress thewheel.

Referring to FIG. 1, the involute grinding wheel dresser embodying the invention comprises a base 10' including a base plate 11 adapted to be fixed to the bed of a machine or the like by bolts 12. The base 10 further includes spaced uprights 13 14. An arm 15 is pivoted to the upright 13 by apin 16 around a pivotal axis P: Arm l5 adjustably supports,- as presently described, a slideway 17 on which a slide l8'is mounted by antifriction means such as ball bearings 19 functioning in grooves in the slide 18 and slideway 17.

A support- 20 is fixed to the slide Y28 and comprises a first portion or leg'21 that has a surface 22 engaging surface-23 of upright 14, a base 24, and a second portion.or leg 25 that extends downwardly along the opposite surface 26 of upright 14 (FIG. 1). A pair of hardened metal rollers 27 are rotatably mounted by needle bearings28 on a shaft 29; in the lower portion of leg. 25 (FIG. 4). The periphery of each guide roller is such that it engages a plate 30 on the side 26 of upright. 14 (FIG. 1). The plate 30 is of predetermined hardness so that as the upright is pressed against the rollers 27 by the compressive force tending to spread the uprights 13, 14, the guide roller 27 tends to deform the surface of plate 30 providing high friction between the guide rollers 27 and the plate 30.

A tool holder support 31 is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the leg 21 and retained by plate 31a. The tool holder support 31 includes spring loaded detent balls33 engaging indentations 34 for approximating any indexed position of the tool for dressing the two sides of the periphery of the grinding wheel. A lock pin 36 is adapted to engage one of two openings 37 to lock the tool holder in indexed position Tool holder support 31 further includes a tool holder slidably mounted and retained by bolt 32. Tool holder 35 supports the tool T with its point aligned with the axis of rotation of the tool holder support-31.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, retractable pins 40 are provided for holding the arm 15 in upright position. When it is desired to utilize the dresser, as presently described, one or the other of the pins 40 is retracted to permit swinging movement of the arm 15.

The slideway 17 is adapted to be angularly adjusted for reasons presently described and, accordingly, the slideway 17 is fixed on a pin 41 which extends into and is rotatable with respect to a block 42 fixed to the arm (FIG. 7). Screws 43 are threaded into the block 42 and engage pins 44 on'the slideway 17 that extend into slots 45 in the block. The screws are threaded equally outwardly to provide equal angular positions of the slideway 17 about the center with respect to the block 42.]Nuts 46.lock the screws in adjusted position. Screw 48 locks the slideway 17 on either side of center.-

As a' further safeguard to prevent movement when the dresser is being set up or is not in use,,a lock pin 47 extends through the slide 18 into an opening in the slidewayl7 (H6. 1).

ln use, the axis of rotation of the arm 15 is brought into alignment with the axis of the work piece (FIG. 1). The distance between this axis and the axis of the diamond tool T, which are in parallel planes, parallel to the plane of the base surface, is set to the radius of the base diameter of the involute. The method of setting this distance is indirectly controlled by the relationship between component parts of the dresser and is made by using measuring blocks between the base 11 and the block 42 on the arm 15.

The dresseris designed so that the axis of the diamond tool T intersects the axis of rotation of the slideway 17 through pin 41 and is parallel to the direction of travel of the slideway 17. The symmetry and the thickness of thegrinding' wheel may be controlled by positioning the point of the diamond tool T a predeter mined distance from the-axis of rotation of the slideway 17. The method of setting this distance is indirectly controlled by the relationship between components parts of the "dresser and is made by using measuring blocksbetween the tool holder 35 and a pin in the tool holder support 31.

The dresser is then brought into position near the grinding wheel and the wheel is moved'toward the diamond toolT. As the wheel is moved toward the dresser one pin 40 is retracted and arm 15 is swung to one side to dress one side of the wheel; when a sufficient amount of involute has been formed the pin is re-engaged, the grinding wheel is moved away and the diamond tool T is indexed to the other side of the wheeLRetracting the other pin 40 again the wheel is moved toward the dresser and the arm 15 is swung to the other side to dress the other side. The position'of the wheel is controlled to be identical for the final dress on both sides of the wheel to provide the required symmetry.

The axis of the guide wheels 27 lies in a plane tangent to the base cylindrical diameter of the involute. The perpendicular diameter from this axis to the axis P of the rotation of the arm 15 corresponds to the radius of the base diameter. The plane containing the periphery of the guide wheels 27 is at right angles to the travel of the beam slide 18. As the arm 15 is moved about its pivot axis P the slide 18 is moved with respect to slideway 17 an amount equal to the arc of rotation of the radius of the base diameter. Since the radial distance from the'pivot axis P of the arm 15 to the contact point of the guide wheels 27 (as viewed from the plane of rotation of the arm15) is increasing, the slide 18 has to The usual angle of rotation of the slideway 17 is zero degrees. However, when the width of the tooth space to be ground is so large as to cause the diamond tool T to start dressing at an unacceptable distance from the base diameter, it becomes necessary to increase the angle of rotation by tilting the slideway 17 by adjusting screws 43 (FIG. 7) symmetrically about the center.

I claim: I

1. In an involute grinding wheel dresser, the combi nation comprising a base,

an arm pivotally mounted-on said base for movement about a pivotal axis,

a slide,

means mounting said slide on said arm for movement transversely of the arm,

a tool,

means for mounting said tool on said slide,

interengaging means between the base and the slide operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially as the arm is swung to define an involute curve,

' said interengaging means comprising at least one guide member on said slide having an arcuate surface with a center lying on a line parallel to the axis of said slide,

and a surface on said base frictionallyengaged by said arcuate surface of said guide member.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide member comprisesa guide roller on one of said slide and said base rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the slide.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said surface is made .of-a relatively deformable material whereby said guide roller frictionallyv engages and rolls with respect to said surface. 7

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said surface is defined by a plate on said base.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of the roller and the point of the tool lie in a plane tangent to the base cylindrical diameter of the involute.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 including anti-friction means between the slide and the arm.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said base comprises an upright portion,

said means for supporting said tool comprising afirst portion engaging one side of said upright and a sec- 0nd portion fixed to said slide,

said guide member being interposed between said second portion and said upright and engaging the other side of said upright.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1 including nation comprising a base,

an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement' about a pivotal axis,

a slide,

anti-friction means mounting said slide on said arm for movement transversely of the arm,

a tool,

means for mounting said tool on said slide,

interengaging means between the base and the slide operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially as the arm is swung to define an involute curve,

said interengaging means between said base and said slide comprising guide rollers on said slide rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the slide,

and a surface on said base frictionally engaged by said rollers,

the axis of the rollers and the point of the tool lying in a plane tangent to the base cylindrical diameter.

11. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said surface is made of relatively deformable material whereby said guide rollers frictionallyrengage and roll with respect to said surface.

12. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said base comprises an upright portion,

said means for supporting said tool comprises a first portion engaging one side of said upright and a second portion fixed to said slide, said guide rollers being mounted on said second portion and engaging the other side of said upright. 13. The combination set forth in claim 12 including means for angularly adjusting the relationship of said slide with respect to said arm.

14. The combination set forth in claim 10 including means for locking said arm with respect to said base.

15. The combination set forth in claim 19 including means for selectively restricting the direction in which 

1. In an involute grinding wheel dresser, the combination comprising a base, an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about a pivotal axis, a slide, means mounting said slide on said arm for movement transversely of the arm, a tool, means for mounting said tool on said slide, interengaging means between the base and the slide operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially as the arm is swung to define an involute curve, said interengaging means comprising at least one guide member on said slide having an arcuate surface with a center lying on a line parallel to the axis of said slide, and a surface on said base frictionally engaged by said arcuate surface of said guide membeR.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide member comprises a guide roller on one of said slide and said base rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the slide.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said surface is made of a relatively deformable material whereby said guide roller frictionally engages and rolls with respect to said surface.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said surface is defined by a plate on said base.
 5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of the roller and the point of the tool lie in a plane tangent to the base cylindrical diameter of the involute.
 6. The combination set forth in claim 1 including anti-friction means between the slide and the arm.
 7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said base comprises an upright portion, said means for supporting said tool comprising a first portion engaging one side of said upright and a second portion fixed to said slide, said guide member being interposed between said second portion and said upright and engaging the other side of said upright.
 8. The combination set forth in claim 1 including means for angularly adjusting the relationship of said slide with respect to said arm.
 9. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm supports a slideway for said slide, said slideway having spaced tracks and antifriction means in said tracks between said slide and said slideway.
 10. In an involute grinding wheel dresser, the combination comprising a base, an arm pivotally mounted on said base for movement about a pivotal axis, a slide, anti-friction means mounting said slide on said arm for movement transversely of the arm, a tool, means for mounting said tool on said slide, interengaging means between the base and the slide operable to limit movement of the slide with respect to the arm as the arm is swung about the pivotal axis in a direction such that the tool moves radially outwardly as well as tangentially as the arm is swung to define an involute curve, said interengaging means between said base and said slide comprising guide rollers on said slide rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the slide, and a surface on said base frictionally engaged by said rollers, the axis of the rollers and the point of the tool lying in a plane tangent to the base cylindrical diameter.
 11. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said surface is made of relatively deformable material whereby said guide rollers frictionally engage and roll with respect to said surface.
 12. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said base comprises an upright portion, said means for supporting said tool comprises a first portion engaging one side of said upright and a second portion fixed to said slide, said guide rollers being mounted on said second portion and engaging the other side of said upright.
 13. The combination set forth in claim 12 including means for angularly adjusting the relationship of said slide with respect to said arm.
 14. The combination set forth in claim 10 including means for locking said arm with respect to said base.
 15. The combination set forth in claim 10 including means for selectively restricting the direction in which the arm may be swung. 